Bessastadir, located on Álftanes between Hafnarfjördur and Reykjavík, have been the residence of the President of Iceland since the establishment of the republic. Previously, for about five hundred years, Bessastadir was the seat of Danish royal officials, the Governors of Iceland. In fact, Bessastadir has been the residence of officials and chieftains in Iceland for nearly a thousand years and has been a church site since the year 1000, when Christianity was officially adopted in the country. Bessastadir Church, the church that adorns the site, was built over a period of fifty years, with construction beginning in 1773 and completed half a century later in 1823. The Danish king imposed a tax on all the churches in the country to finance the construction. A little over a century later, the church had fallen into disrepair, and the State Architect, Gudjón Samúelsson, was tasked with restoring the building when Iceland finally gained independence from Denmark. He enlisted the artists Finnur Jónsson and Gudmundur Einarsson (from Middalur) to create stained glass windows for the church. They did not look to the Bible for inspiration, however; instead, they turned to Iceland’s history and fate for their models.
Álftanes 23/08/2024 : A7C R, RX1R II, A7R IV – 2.0/35mm Z, FE 1.8/20mm G,FE 1.8/135mm GM
Photos & text : Páll Stefánsson
